Liquid dispensers are widely used in various industries. Chemical solutions including fertilizers, pesticides, and detergents and so on are often mixed from various concentrates and solvents before dispensed for use or storage. Similar dispensers also find applications in the medical field. In the food and beverage industry, liquid dispensers are widely used in all kinds of venues such as quick service restaurants.
The liquid dispensers used in food and beverage industry reconstitute juice syrup concentrates with a potable diluent, e.g., potable water, and then dispense the reconstituted juice into a container at the point of consumption. This kind of dispensers are sometimes called “postmix” dispensers as they produce a final product in contrast to a “premix” beverage that is prepackaged with the final constituents (flavor, gas, etc.) and ready for consumption. For safety and taste reasons, a postmix beverage dispenser often requires refrigeration in the dispenser of various components that eventually go into the postmix product.
Existing liquid dispensing apparatuses used in the food and beverage industry have become more and more complex in an effort to meet increasingly specific demands from customers. As a result, these dispensing apparatuses have become bulkier and more difficult to service. With the rapid growth in quick service restaurants and the counter space being at a premium, however, there is a strong need for machines of a smaller footprint while easier to service. A smaller machine that is easy to diagnose any operational problems and easy to change parts will further fuel the growth of the industry.